No Bed of Roses as Actress Adds Voice to Cry for Tibet's Freedom

As an actress, Kerry Armstrong puts creative satisfaction and meaning
before a big pay cheque. Or sometimes, no pay cheque at all.

The Melbourne-based actress was in Canberra yesterday to do the
voice-over for the documentary Tibet's Cry For Freedom, to be released in June.

The documentary was written, produced and directed by Adelaide
film-maker Lara Damiani.

Armstrong was not paid for the voice-over but feels the issues raised
are more important than money.

"I just think it's so important to hear and acknowledge and do
something when you understand that the Tibetan people have lost the
very thing that you and I take for granted every day and that's
freedom,'' she said.

"Anyone would have this incredible sense that's something's not right
so it's about the human conscience. And I think what Lara is doing
with this documentary is not in any way preaching, it's not in any
way pointing fingers, it's actually just shedding light where light
needs to be shed.''

Armstrong said when Damiani sent her the first five minutes of the
documentary she was ''very confronted.''

"It was confronting but what I found amazing was that mixture of
elation, that finally I understood that something needed to be done
and that I was no longer able after seeing this to be a bystander.
And combined with that was the despair of understanding the inertia
of an entire world while the Tibetans had lost their right to
freedom,'' she said.

Armstrong said she could only say personally why she had been a
bystander before.

"It was complete isolation, lack of knowledge, and there are times
when being a mum and having children, some of us don't focus on the
news all the time.''

She said her family influenced her career decisions.

"I've got three sons and they mean the world to me and therefore I
make decisions that I wouldn't really want to do anything that was
not something I'd be happy for them to watch and see in their lives.''

Armstrong's latest role is in ABC TV's six-part drama series, Bed of
Roses, playing 49-year-old Louisa Atherton, whose wealthy husband
drops dead in the arms of another woman, leaving her bankrupt.

Armstrong said she was ''delighted'' the show was winning its time
slot in ratings.

Like her character, Armstrong is also 49 and has her own views on
what she wants for women.

"I have a really strong desire for women to be accountable,
thoughtful, and to drop this thing of having to be different,
special, young, whatever,'' she said.

"I just want women free to be themselves on any level, so the parts
that I do reflect that.''

For more information on Tibet's Cry for Freedom , visit
www.thetibetproject.com